Delavan dog track demolition in the works

The Geneva Lakes Kennel Club in Delavan has been closed since April 2006.

DOG TRACK HISTORY

-- The Geneva Lake Kennel Club had greyhound racing at the site at Highway 50 and Interstate 43 in Delavan from May 1990 to November 2005. Simulcast off-track betting for races at other venues continued at the facility through April 2006

-- NRB Land Development bought the 130-acre racetrack property for $7.95 million in April 2006 and bought the adjoining 70-acre parcel for $6.5 million in June 2006.

DELAVAN—The greyhound racetrack in Delavan has been empty for nearly eight years.

In that time, its owner, NRB Land Development, has been paying for utilities and upkeep for the buildings surrounding the track.

Now, the buildings are slated to come down.

On Tuesday, Delavan Public Works Director Mark Wendorf confirmed representatives from NRB have met with the city to see about getting a demolition permit for the property.

NRB Land Development Manager Andy Teegan confirmed those plans Wednesday. Although the company hasn't yet taken out demolition permits, he was “fairly confident” the work would be done.

“It would have to eventually come down anyway,” Teegan said.

It's unlikely anyone would find another use for the building and the grandstands that curve around the southern side of the track, Teegan said.

Utilities and upkeep for the building are expensive, some years totaling more than $100,000, he said.

NRB has been unable to find a buyer for the land, which is on prime real estate at the corner of Highway 50 and Interstate 43.

Teegan said the company hoped it would be able to recycle much of the materials in the building.

Talk of demolition does not signal the start of a new building on the site, he said.

“There's not an imminent development project,” Teegan said. “Unfortunately, that's not the case, yet.”

The company “still loves the site," he said.

It's possible the demolition might be the start of a "domino effect that gets things going."

“When the bottom dropped out in 2007, 2008, nobody realized how long it would take to come back,” Teegan said.

Occasionally, rumors have swirled through the community about potential buyers, but nothing has yet come to fruition.

The 200-acre property is close to Lake Lawn Resort and several retail centers.